More than 700 years after Sheffield was granted market status, the principal Castle market, which lies on the remains of the city’s 13th century stone castle, is being relocated to a new site on The Moor.
15 new seats have been strategically placed to accommodate pedestrian needs and, in keeping with Sheffield’s policy of using materials that are “as local as possible”, Irish Kilkenny limestone, extracted by McKeon Stone is used. Geologically, it is very similar to the Carboniferous crinoidal limestones quarried in Belgium that have been widely used in the Low Countries and adjoining parts of Germany and France.
The colour varies according to the proportions of fossils and natural cement and the degree of polishing. A fine honed, finish was chosen, with flame textured side panels and a CNC Bideseimpianti wire saw was used to cut the curved ends in one piece. Once stainless steel skateboard deterrents had been fitted, the sections were shipped to Cumbria in north-west England where Pip Hall, using a combination of V notched profiled lettering and sandblasted illustrations, brought the words of the Sheffield poet, Matt Black, to life.
Celebrating the history of markets in Sheffield, the poem invokes local characters, trades, place names, smells, tastes and sounds in language that has been used in Sheffield’s markets over the years.